Panel: Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York: A Civic Activist Boot Camp: Working Within and Without the System

Jane Jacobs was not beholden to any strategy for making change happen. And today, the complexity of the city and its needs are such that activists also employ a diversity of approaches. While some embrace the protest and resistance models that Jacobs used to oppose the Lower Manhattan Expressway, others focus on effecting social, cultural and political change while working within existing structures.

In the spirit of Jane Jacobs, this panel not only will explore ways to open up urban planning processes, it will detail concrete ways that individuals can acquire the tools necessary to make their voices heard. Participants will outline ways to make stands, including basic organization, media relations, community relations, government relations, and the use of legal action.

• Richard Kahan, Urban Assembly — moderator
• Alexie Torres-Fleming, Southern Bronx Watershed River Alliance / Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
• Reverend Billy, Church of Stop Shopping
• Joshua David, Friends of the High Line
• Marshall Brown, Atlantic Yards Development Workshop